Library cards, loyalty cards, earn a free coffee cards - what are your tips for avoiding a beast of a purse?

[Gentleness]

As the title says! I feel like I carry the family purse - 5 library cards and family passes, cards to pay with, cards to earn points with, that brilliant NT 11 hot drinks for the price of 10 cards and the like. There's definitely more than 20 in my purse right now, probably over 25.

I've been languishing ill and browsing beautiful, beautiful handbags and in various YouTube videos it became apparent that some people have 2 or 3 different purses. I can't believe this never occurred to me.

It sounds like a idealistic but impractical solution though. Anyone do this? Anyone got any other clever solutions?

Apps, apps and more apps. In fact I can't think of any of the cards that I use that can't be accessed on your phone in some way.

Stocard app. You can scan all your cards on to it.

Stocard app here too. So much easier than a second purse.

You'll still have to carry the ones that need to be stamped like NT though but the app helps for most.

I bought a split metal ring from eBay for a couple of quid and hole punched all the cards that didn't have apps.

Thanks, off to investigate stocard! I'm still on the fence about password keeper apps though, so wonder if the same concerns apply...

Have you ever had concerns about data or problems using it?

My tip is: don't have any of them (apart from the library card) - because, as you say OP, I worry about data sharing.

So Stocard is loyalty apps only and I'm seeing some reviews about it not working in Sainsbury's or Boots, but the apps work fine for those already. Everything else can go on there which should help a lot!

You'll still have to carry the ones that need to be stamped like NT though but the app helps for most.

I think it depends on the app/retailer; the apps for Caffè Nero and Greggs collect ‘stamps’, and the Costs app adds on your points. Also, the Tesco Pay+ app is good, assuming you’re happy to link your credit card and payment card on it.

Do any of the cards also have smaller cards you can put onto a key ring? I work in libraries & we do this, so you could have a keying that you only take eg when you go to the library.

Stocard works in Boots now, Boots has done an upgrade to its EPOS

I have library cards for all my kids as wel as my own, and we go to several different libraries 🤓 so I need a purse just for that 😞 will ask about the keyring but it might be a bit modern for them

I don’t have any loyalty cards, I don’t think it’s worth the extra information they get from you.

Oh and sainsburys.

That's great about Sainsbury's and Boots, thanks @Aquicknamechange2019.

@DishwasherJan, I know - it is so much space taken up! And we often pop in rather than make a planned visit so it makes sense to have them with us. I do have the numbers saved in an app and will ask tomorrow about whether that would enough when we pop in. I love our librarians and would not like to make their lives more difficult.

My dc used to each have a 'library bag' (just one of those white cotton ones - I think they were given them through some bookstart scheme in the first case, but they are all over the place since carrier bag charge started), and their cards lived in each of their bags. I've never carried their library cards for them.

We do have a shared library bag so I think I'm going to put all the cards in there. A bag each would be all kinds of complicated as there's a lot of crossover between kids and they lend each other spaces as needed! Maybe it's time to revisit that though.

Well yes, mine all used to swap around books and so forth, but they each started with their 8 books and then they had to have 8 books in their bag the next week to return / swap them.
Got FAR easier once you could check up on-line what book was missing

I have a little zippy coin purse that's just wide enough for all the cards that I can't have on a keyring. If I know I'm going into a specific shop I'll stick that card in my purse. Otherwise the purse lives at the bottom of my hangbag so it can be fished out when needed

Stocard
Any issues the cashier can manually type in number

Cut down the cards. I went through and tried to work out which ones I use.

Tesco
Waterstones
Boots
Costa

I like the shops, I stay loyal (like they want) so get decent points (£120 in Boots card atm) and I don't have a wallet full of plastic. I also downloaded the apps and have a purse with 15 slots for store cards and then a zipped bit for credit cards etc and cash.